Inukai Tsuyoshi, (born May 5, 1855, Okayama, Japan—died May 15, 1932, Tokyo) Japanese politician and prime minister whose assassination marked the end of party participation in the Japanese government in the period preceding World War II.

Inukai Tsuyoshi.

National Diet Library

Of samurai origin, Inukai began his career as a reporter. He became minister of education in 1898 and then founded a new political party, the Constitutional National Party (Rikken Kokumintō). In 1913 he headed a popular movement against the autocratic and unpopular government of the former army general Katsura Tarō. As a result of Inukai’s efforts, Katsura was forced to resign, opening the way for the gradual development of a cabinet selected by the majority party in the Diet (Japanese parliament).

In 1922 Inukai organized another new party, the Reform Club (Kakushin Kurabu), and the following year he again joined the cabinet, this time as minister of communications. In 1924, however, he destroyed this coalition government when he left it to join the Friends of Constitutional Government (Rikken Seiyūkai), the largest party in Japan; and in 1929 he became president of that party.

In 1931 Japanese troops occupied the Chinese provinces of Manchuria (Northeast Provinces), the first step in the process that led to the Pacific conflict of World War II. When the cabinet of Wakatsuki Reijirō fell, Inukai was able to organize a cabinet of his own, becoming prime minister in December 1931. His government immediately took the country off the gold standard and began efforts to reflate the economy.

Inukai was staunchly opposed to the continued attempts by the military to usurp the decision-making functions of the cabinet. He prepared to send a representative to negotiate with the Chinese and tried to halt any further military activities, whereupon he was assassinated during an attempted coup d’état by ultranationalist naval officers.

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...government in Tokyo could not stop the army, and even army headquarters was not always in full control of the field commanders. Prime Minister Wakatsuki Reijirō gave way in December 1931 to Inukai Tsuyoshi. Inukai’s plans to stop the army by imperial intervention were frustrated. On May 15, 1932, naval officers took the lead in a terrorist attack in Tokyo that cost Inukai his life but...